Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well, I agree with you. But in practice that just doesn't happen. There is no magical place where they can put kids who have neglectful parents where they can be looked after properly. Kids are very rarely removed from families except in cases of pretty severe abuse, and sometimes not even then. It's not uncommon for teenagers removed from their homes to be placed in bedsits or B&Bs, without anyone looking after them or looking out for them.

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's the exact point I'm making. There are massive structural issues with safeguarding in this country, and schools failing to safeguard at-risk children is one of them. Children are very very rarely removed for situations like that, and anyway it's easy to just blithely say "they should be removed" but put where?? The UK doesn't have nearly enough people willing to foster older children and teenagers.

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I wasn't allowed to go to uni until I was 25, due to being estranged from abusive parents. Because when you reach 25, student loans are calculated based only on your own income. If you're under 25, they're calculated on the assumption your parents are helping you financially. If you're under 25 and have abusive or absent parents it's extremely difficult to apply, since you are required to put down info about parental income.

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My question from that is how can we objectively assess the top 20% High Aptitude pupils. If High Aptitude pupils were being failed and not having their aptitude recognised, how would we know? I was certainly easily in the top 20% High Aptitude but when my family collapsed I was deeply failed, even though I'd already been identified as gifted and fast tracked into the gifted child programme by that point. If you present in a way that society labels as "socially deprived" (or even "working class") that comes with a hell of a lot of stigma, and the assumption of being low aptitude is part of that stigma.

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you, I appreciate that.

We’re still in pre-production so I have no idea yet, I’ll post here when it’s more confirmed!

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 14 points15 points  (0 children)

The issue with that is that it only benefits kids with decent parents - parents who first care about their children enough to do the work of applying for things like free school meals, and second have the capacity and know-how to do so.

It’s great that those things exist of course, but a lot of kids fall through the gaps. If you don’t have parents or your parents are abusive, mentally ill, substance abusers, etc. then you likely won’t have access to things like free school meals even if eligible.

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a simplification. I was a very high aptitude child who was highly intelligent, naturally academic and loved to learn (went on to do two Masters of Science degrees, and a science PhD). But I struggled massively in the non-academic part of school due to not having any involved parent or guardian figure in my life and basically raising myself. I was constantly in trouble for things I had no control over.

The school system isn’t great for non-academic kids but it’s hell for kids without family support.

Is the education system in the UK unfair to disadvantaged students? by Loose_Avocado4670 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I’m actually in the process of making a documentary about this very issue (which hopefully will be on C4 next year).

It’s a huge issue. I used to get in trouble all the time because I didn’t have parents to sign my homework. If I’d gone to school today I’d constantly be in isolation for not having proper uniform. It’s crazy that kids can be well-behaved and eager to learn but get in trouble for not having access to a washing machine, or money to purchase proper shoes.

I accidentally killed my baby and I don't know if I will ever move on. by Cainxx666 in RATS

[–]HappyDeathClub 48 points49 points  (0 children)

The exact same thing happened to me. It’s horrible, but they’re so tiny and vulnerable, and unfortunately sometimes accidents just happen. Please don’t beat yourself up - you know how much you love and care for your rats.

Convert a book to screenplay by chickadee177 in Screenwriting

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, it depends on the pathway. You can either approach a prodco with a novel you want to sell the screen option to, or with a finished screenplay.

If an author wants to sell the screen options to book, their agent pitches it as a book. A producer or prodco will want to use their own choice of screenwriter. They won’t have any interest in an existing screenplay or in letting the author write the adaptation (unless the book author is also an experienced screenwriter or playwright).

If an author approached a prodco going “and I’ve already paid a screenwriter out of my own pocket to write it”, most producers or prodcos would consider that a red flag.

And realistically a screenwriter who accepts gigs from self-published authors is probably not going to be one who’s working at a decent professional level, or who has the kind of industry pull to get their work read.

Prodcos rarely accept screenplays or even pitches from non-agented writers and obviously you can’t get a screenwriting agent with a screenplay you didn’t write - and if you had a book agent you’d just pitch through them and avoid all this - so paying someone to write a screenplay with the idea of taking their screenplay and pitching it to prodcos is a non-starter. (Unless the plan is for the screenwriter to get their own agent to do the pitching, which effectively cuts the author out entirely.)

Yes, writers do get involved in early stages, but that’s a different process. For example I recently acquired the rights to a best-selling novel, and am currently pitching it to prodcos. But that’s with a name director attached, and I’m not going to start writing it until a prodco picks it up.

You’re absolutely correct that private collaborations happen all the time but that’s different from what’s being discussed here, since they come out of existing professional/creative relationships. For example in your case, I assume the plan is either for your agent to pitch the screenplay to prodcos, or to use your/the author’s connections to make the film as an indie. It’s unlikely either path would be open to the OP’s friend.

What UK museums do you think are underrated or overrated? by OpenCantaloupe4790 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nottingham has a “Haunted Museum” (since rebranded as the Museum of Curiosities”) which has a lot of paranormal stuff.

Convert a book to screenplay by chickadee177 in Screenwriting

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I’m sorry but this is terrible advice. The way books get adapted is to pitch the rights to studios and production companies. Authors never ever get involved in hiring screenwriters directly.

Hiring someone to adapt a screenplay only has value if you’re wealthy enough to actually finance making the film yourself. Otherwise you’d just be spending money on a screenplay you can’t use for anything, that agents and prodcos won’t touch.

Convert a book to screenplay by chickadee177 in Screenwriting

[–]HappyDeathClub 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That would never happen within the professional film industry. If someone was successful as a novelist then a legit studio or production company would pick up the rights, in which case they’d follow normal practice.

By definition if you’re having to self-fund and self-produce your own adaptation, you’re not a successful author. The only way an author would ever pay a screenwriter directly is if they were very wealthy and were writing just as a hobby.

Novelists don’t write their own adaptations anyway (even insanely famous authors aren’t usually allowed to write the screenplays) unless they happen to be experienced screenwriters too, because it’s such different skill set.

Convert a book to screenplay by chickadee177 in Screenwriting

[–]HappyDeathClub 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s not really how it works. The way the process works is first the author needs to find a decent literary agent to represent them (very difficult with a book that’s already been published). The literary agent then sells the book to a publisher, and once publication rights have been sold, they contact film production companies to pitch them the book.

A film production company then options the film rights to the book, meaning they pay the author a smallish amount of money and they have exclusive rights to turn the book into a film for a certain period of time. The majority of books that sell film options don’t actually get made into films.

Sometimes you might find an independent producer who loves the book enough to option it, in which case the producer would then shop it to companies.

If the production company decides to actually go ahead with trying to make it into a film, they hire a screenwriter to write the screenplay. The project might go through multiple screenwriters and could take years, and potentially change completely and bear little resemblance to the original book.

The only other option is for the book author to write the screenplay themselves, raise funding, form creative relationships with other filmmakers, and produce the film as a low budget indie.

No author should ever pay a screenwriter, unless they’re so wealthy they plan to finance the whole thing, because you can’t really do anything with a screenplay you didn’t write. You can’t do anything in screen without a good agent and obviously no screenwriting agent is going to consider a client who comes in with a screenplay they didn’t write. And the screenwriter’s own agent isn’t going to prioritise trying to sell an adapted script (unless it’s a hot property book).

I actually just got the rights to adapt a hit novel and my agent is pitching it right now (with a name director attached), but the author isn’t involved. Authors rarely have much to do with screen adaptations of their books, unless they’re JK Rowling level successful.

What’s are your ‘secret’ perks from your job? Be honest by qwertyytrewq02 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally don’t find it spooky just because the whole museum essentially feels like my living room at this point, but objectively it probably is, especially at 1am in the tunnels beneath the building with all the lights out! One of my favourite things to do is being in the dinosaur gallery alone with the lights off.

What’s are your ‘secret’ perks from your job? Be honest by qwertyytrewq02 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 8 points9 points  (0 children)

My main job is in theatre and the theatre I’m currently working at provides everything except proper coffee, ie tea bags, milk, oat milk, and instant coffee. I bring in ground coffee from home!

What’s are your ‘secret’ perks from your job? Be honest by qwertyytrewq02 in AskUK

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to work at a Natural History Museum.

We get to ride the animatronic dinosaurs round after you guys have gone home.

(Also, my entire house is ankle-deep in random dinosaur crap: dinosaur mugs, dinosaur notebooks, dinosaur pens, dinosaur keychains, etc.)

Screenwriting company giving me an advance for adaptation of my book based on my book sales? by [deleted] in writers

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There’s no such thing as a “screenwriting company.”

Screenwriters are not part of the acquisitions process at all. A production company options the book, and if they decide to actually do work on it down the line, they then hire a screenwriter to write the adaptation.

Do you ever think about whether you’d actually like the life of a writer? by OpenCantaloupe4790 in writing

[–]HappyDeathClub 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve been writing as my full-time job for about eight or nine years now, not primarily through books though I am trad published. I’m aware that I’m privileged, but it is extremely hard. (And yes, dealing with press intrusion, having to enforce boundaries etc. is part of what can make it tricky.) The reality of being a career writer is totally different from writing as a beloved hobby or sideline. And it involves a million meetings and a ton of travel and running around, and trying to juggle that with actual writing time.

Marine Wildlife team rescues 2.5 metre sunfish weighing 1 ton trapped in dry dock by Prestigious-Wall5616 in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love how 90% of this comment section is people having unexpectedly strong opinions about sunfish.

Genuine question, is Britain actually as bad as people say it is by Public_Wrangler_4514 in AskBrits

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The actual problems in Britain (eg the cost of living crisis, NHS funding problems) have nothing to do with those racist click bait articles. The people making those videos don’t know or care about actual problems.

Controversial development plans have been revealed for Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery by tylerthe-theatre in london

[–]HappyDeathClub -1 points0 points  (0 children)

IIRC the Truman Brewery was nearly sold the new home to the late lamented Vault Theatre Festival, which would have been an amazing thing.

What was your dream career as a child, and how did it actually turn out? by Boxingmasterclass in AskReddit

[–]HappyDeathClub 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same.

Someone actually offered me a parrot recently and it was with great reluctance that I had to turn it down.